2024 Dark Horse 50-Foot Break-In: Owner Drives It out of the Showroom, Smokes Tires Hard

Dale James Ford has been selling Fords since 1928 – 25 years after Henry established FoMoCo –one might wonder how they stayed in business for so long, given their geographical position and demographic pool of prospects. But that’s irrelevant – until we see one well-known car collector and popular YouTuber going straight through the front door of this Ford outlet to get possession of his brand-new 2024 Mustang Dark Horse.

We couldn’t have been more intrigued by this choice if it wasn’t for one detail about the entire operation (documented in the video below) that’s impossible to ignore. The mystery of how this six-speed manual Dark Horse landed on the showroom floor of this family-owned business is a story in itself, and the current owner gently lifts the veil on it.

But the nice - no, the best part - is this car's hand-over. The buyer is Dennis Collins, a familiar figure among people with a V8 mindset and a tire-smoking attitude toward the whole concept of car culture. While he has gained fame for being a rescuer of old classics (particularly – but not limited to – American icons), Dennis Collins is also a lead-footed car enthusiast who doesn’t shy away from an opportunity to add smiles per gallon to his already broad collection.

After thoroughly researching a model spec’d to his preference, he finally found a Mustang Dark Horse that he liked. As it happens – pretty much like in a fairy tale (or in a predictable scripted scenario) – the only dealership in the United States of Automobile that had an example to suit the buyer's needs was the Apple Creek, Ohio, Dale James Ford.

That’s over 1,100 miles (almost 1,800 kilometers) far from Wylie, Texas, where Dennis Collins conducts his operations, but let’s not get distracted here. The man wanted a specific list of options, and the car in the small village up north just happened to tick all the boxes. Uncommon, but not impossible – and Dennis Collins made a name for himself with his ability to find amazing cars hidden away in some remote corner of the map.

That’s all nice and dandy, but here comes the delicious part. The 2024 Mustang Owner’s manual advises: ‘You need to break in new tires for approximately 300 mi (480 km). During this time, your vehicle may exhibit some unusual driving characteristics’ together with ‘Your vehicle requires a break-in period. For the first 1,000 mi (1,600 km), avoid driving at high speeds, heavy braking, aggressive shifting, or using your vehicle to tow. During this time, your vehicle may exhibit some unusual driving characteristics.’

Let’s cut to the chase: play the video at 08:10 and see the piston-addict interpretation of said 300- and 1,000-mile recommendation. Dennis drove the Dark Horse straight off the showroom floor – incidentally, it was the only new car the dealership had at the time – and out into the parking lot.

The break-in lasted about 50 feet before the new owner put the Mustang through its 500-hp (507 PS), six-speed manual first trial. If you follow his YouTube channel, you know full well that the car vlogger and restorer is also a gourmand who won’t pass a chance for an excellent culinary treat. Donuts don’t usually pop up on his regular program menu, but on this day, boy, did he have his share of them.

No, not the kind that makes the decade-old stereotype about the boys in blue, but the smoking-hot, V8-burnt donuts. Barely 15 seconds behind his brand-spanking-new 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, Dennis Collins smokes the tires like there’s no tomorrow, no warranty, and no $65,000+ stake.

True to his confidentiality clause of never making purchase prices public for his barn finds and rescues, Dennis didn’t tell what he paid for the Mustang. Depending on the version, the cost would vary between $63k for the base Dark Horse and $67k for the Premium trim (both values include all taxes, fees, and charges).

The six-speed manual Dark Horse is the cheaper option – the ten-speed automatic is a $1,595 extra – but there’s no difference in engine performance specs between the two transmission types. The Gen IV 5.0-liter Coyote V8 (307-cubic inches, for the nostalgic Mustang fans) puts out 500 hp and 418 lb-ft (507 PS, 567 Nm). The specs make the Dark Horse the most powerful regular-production Mustang ever put together (no, Shelbys and Bosses don’t count, nor do other high-performance variants).